Published: Sunday, November 10, 2013 at 6:01 a.m.

Last Modified: Saturday, November 9, 2013 at 12:27 a.m.

When Frank and Joyce Naquin were in elementary school, they were punished for speaking French. Joyce had plenty an eraser thrown at her for uttering French to her fellow classmates.

Today, however, speaking French is the lifeblood of the Thibodaux family’s business.

Once bustling with Francophones, Thibodaux now is as anglofied as any midwestern U.S. city. On West Camellia Drive, the couple operate the city’s only French-speaking bed and breakfast.

Naquin’s, or A la Maison de Naquin in French, is run out of what used to be a three-bedroom house, since expanded by the handiwork of Frank into a six-bedroom, three-suite residence built around the home’s outside courtyards spaces.

The Naquins host around 150 guests a year, 90 percent of whom Joyce Naquin says are from out of country, for $65 to $75 per night.

When Joyce Naquin retired from nursing, a solitary retirement wasn’t an option. The bed and breakfast keeps the world at the Naquins’ doorstep and allows them to extend the traditions of their gracious Cajun family to the world.

“When we left it felt like we had friends if not relatives in Louisiana,” said Chuck Burhans, a Michigan native who stayed at Naquin’s in October. “It was perfect for us, I’m sure we will come back.”

The bed and breakfast receives a perfect 5 out of 5-rating scale on tripadvisor.com, an international travel website.

Joyce said she does not have to spend much on advertising. Between local recommendations and the prolific wealth of French-written travel books, Naquin’s has all the publicity it needs.

It doesn’t hurt business that the couple goes to every length to care for their guests. Not only do the Naquins prepare meals for their guests and ensure that each has a private bathroom, they also arrange and even guide guests’ tours to local attractions.

If a guest wants crepes, Joyce will make them crepes. If parlines or king cake is in order, she will have it ready even if guests aren’t expecting to be fed.

“We arrived to stay only one night but ended up staying two nights,” said Ryan DeVido, who came from Phoenix, Ariz., to show some friends from Provence around south Louisiana. “We got in really late and ventured out to go get dinner, but when we came back they had king cake and coffee ready for us. We were blown away.”

The interior of the home is a reflection of the Naquins’ own taste and craftsmanship. The numerous expansions to the house have all been done at the hands of Frank, while Joyce’s hand-painted works depicting Louisiana nature adorn the walls of her guests’ rooms.

Some of the wood molding in the kitchen was even made from scraps left over from the construction of the R/V Knorr, the ship used to discover the wreck of the Titanic in 1985. Frank worked on the Knorr when he was employed as a shipbuilder at McDermott Shipyard.

Joyce even sells her own bilingual French/English cookbook, La Cuisine des Cajuns sur le Bayou, a product of many hours spent with the exchange students she hosted from Nicholls State University.

The Naquins began hosting French exchange students and their families nearly 30 years ago when Nicholls began a masters in business administration exchange program with the University of Lodoun.

It was in the early 1990s, when Frank was getting ready to retire from the shipyard that Joyce began crafting together the initial plans to open the bed and breakfast.

“We have a camp, and Frank said why don’t we go live at the camp and sell this house,” Joyce said. “I said ‘no way.’ ”

So while Frank was away at work, Joyce began putting together the plans to open the bed and breakfast. With help from a friend who already ran a B and B in Houma, Joyce made preparations to begin advertising the two bedrooms the couple originally set aside for their four children in the 1970s.

Today, after 16 years in business, the Naquins are hosting humble visitors and dignitaries alike.

Recently, Joyce said, the bed and breakfast was visited by one of Yasuhiro Kubo’s trainers. Kubo is the Japanese sky diver who claims to hold the world record for skydiving without a parachute.

“But everybody has great stories,” Joyce said. “They all have different things to say. It’s like having the world in your living room.”

<p>When Frank and Joyce Naquin were in elementary school, they were punished for speaking French. Joyce had plenty an eraser thrown at her for uttering French to her fellow classmates.</p><p>Today, however, speaking French is the lifeblood of the Thibodaux family's business. </p><p>Once bustling with Francophones, Thibodaux now is as anglofied as any midwestern U.S. city. On West Camellia Drive, the couple operate the city's only French-speaking bed and breakfast. </p><p>Naquin's, or A la Maison de Naquin in French, is run out of what used to be a three-bedroom house, since expanded by the handiwork of Frank into a six-bedroom, three-suite residence built around the home's outside courtyards spaces.</p><p>The Naquins host around 150 guests a year, 90 percent of whom Joyce Naquin says are from out of country, for $65 to $75 per night. </p><p>When Joyce Naquin retired from nursing, a solitary retirement wasn't an option. The bed and breakfast keeps the world at the Naquins' doorstep and allows them to extend the traditions of their gracious Cajun family to the world. </p><p>“When we left it felt like we had friends if not relatives in Louisiana,” said Chuck Burhans, a Michigan native who stayed at Naquin's in October. “It was perfect for us, I'm sure we will come back.”</p><p>The bed and breakfast receives a perfect 5 out of 5-rating scale on tripadvisor.com, an international travel website.</p><p>Joyce said she does not have to spend much on advertising. Between local recommendations and the prolific wealth of French-written travel books, Naquin's has all the publicity it needs. </p><p>It doesn't hurt business that the couple goes to every length to care for their guests. Not only do the Naquins prepare meals for their guests and ensure that each has a private bathroom, they also arrange and even guide guests' tours to local attractions. </p><p>If a guest wants crepes, Joyce will make them crepes. If parlines or king cake is in order, she will have it ready even if guests aren't expecting to be fed. </p><p>“We arrived to stay only one night but ended up staying two nights,” said Ryan DeVido, who came from Phoenix, Ariz., to show some friends from Provence around south Louisiana. “We got in really late and ventured out to go get dinner, but when we came back they had king cake and coffee ready for us. We were blown away.” </p><p>The interior of the home is a reflection of the Naquins' own taste and craftsmanship. The numerous expansions to the house have all been done at the hands of Frank, while Joyce's hand-painted works depicting Louisiana nature adorn the walls of her guests' rooms. </p><p>Some of the wood molding in the kitchen was even made from scraps left over from the construction of the R/V Knorr, the ship used to discover the wreck of the Titanic in 1985. Frank worked on the Knorr when he was employed as a shipbuilder at McDermott Shipyard.</p><p>Joyce even sells her own bilingual French/English cookbook, La Cuisine des Cajuns sur le Bayou, a product of many hours spent with the exchange students she hosted from Nicholls State University. </p><p>The Naquins began hosting French exchange students and their families nearly 30 years ago when Nicholls began a masters in business administration exchange program with the University of Lodoun. </p><p>It was in the early 1990s, when Frank was getting ready to retire from the shipyard that Joyce began crafting together the initial plans to open the bed and breakfast. </p><p>“We have a camp, and Frank said why don't we go live at the camp and sell this house,” Joyce said. “I said 'no way.' ”</p><p>So while Frank was away at work, Joyce began putting together the plans to open the bed and breakfast. With help from a friend who already ran a B and B in Houma, Joyce made preparations to begin advertising the two bedrooms the couple originally set aside for their four children in the 1970s. </p><p>Today, after 16 years in business, the Naquins are hosting humble visitors and dignitaries alike. </p><p>Recently, Joyce said, the bed and breakfast was visited by one of Yasuhiro Kubo's trainers. Kubo is the Japanese sky diver who claims to hold the world record for skydiving without a parachute.</p><p>“But everybody has great stories,” Joyce said. “They all have different things to say. It's like having the world in your living room.”</p>